Casa Summers
by Gilly Bean2
Summary: Dawn gets to missing her mom, and Spike helps her through it. Lots of Spawn interaction, with some Spuffy.
1. Fluffy Stuff

Dawn came home, and smelled... nothing. Wrinkling her nose, she mumbled to herself, saying how she would have to learn to bake brownies soon. She missed coming home and smelling them. Buffy was busy working all the time, and even if she wasn't there was no way she would get brownies out of her. Store bought, maybe... no, likely not even then. To expensive.  
  
Sighing, she dragged her backpack up the stairs behind her. Once in her room, she kicked off her shoes, and tossed the pack in the corner. Dawn turned her stereo on, and blasted it nice and loud. Grabbing a cute fluffy bear from her bed, she started to dance around with it.  
  
Buffy walked in later then normal. She was supposed to get out of hell, or work as they called it, at 8. Instead, the replacement didn't show until nearly 11, and so, Dawn was alone again most the night. As Buffy pulled herself up the stairs, she could hear Dawn talking to someone on the phone.  
  
11 pm, and that girl was still talking! And on a school night! Sighing, Buffy rapped quickly on Dawn's door before letting herself in. Dawn looked up with a scowl that seemed ingrained in her face, and then went back to talking.  
  
"Dawn, off the phone, now. Brush your teeth, and get in bed. You still have school tomorrow." Dawn took only a moment's pause to again scowl at Buffy before she told Janice that the harridan was howling again. They said good- bye quickly, and Dawn hung the phone up. Buffy opened her mouth to say something, then sighed, and turned from the room.  
  
She went to her own room, and grabbed her comfy old sweats, and a grimy t- shirt. Throwing tennis shoes on her feet, she walked out of her room, and to her mother's old room. No matter how long it had been, every time she came to that door, she hesitated just a bit before knocking.  
  
Willow peeked just her head through, and Buffy could hear some giggling behind her coming from Tara. Buffy rolled her eyes mockingly, and smiled at Willow.  
  
"Will, I am leaving to do a quick patrol. Can you make sure Dawn goes to sleep this time?" Willow started to reply, then started to giggle. She quickly nodded, and shut the door. Sighing, Buffy made her way downstairs. A typical night in the Casa Summers.  
  
*****************************  
  
Spike could smell and hear her coming before she got there. She had a unique scent. He supposed it was because of what she was. Either way, it made it hard to miss her when she was afoot.  
  
Leaning back against his chair, he kept his eyes on the re-run of Passions he had picked up somehow. He could hear the feet shuffling outside the door for a moment, and he smiled.  
  
After a few moments hesitation, the door opened quietly. The small form shuffled in, and Spike looked back. "Hello, bit. Out kinda late, aren't you? Brought a cross an all that rot, I hope?"  
  
Dawn nodded briefly and showed the vampire her protection. A small squirt gun filled with holy water, a necklace with a cross on it, and a small stake. He wrinkled his nose as he saw the last. She just giggled in her special Dawn way, and walked over to him.  
  
"Alright, bit, you are never this quiet, so spill. What's she done now?" Spike stared directly at her, his eyes not wavering for even a moment. Dawn sighed dramatically.  
  
"It's not what she's done, I guess. It's what she hasn't done. Or can't do. Or something like that. I miss mom, I guess. I come home expecting to smell her baking brownies, or cookies, or... anything. But instead, I come home to an empty kitchen, no good smells, and no body home. It's not fair."  
  
Dawn pouted her lips prettily, and sat down on Spikes lap. She leaned her head against his chest, and he rubbed her hair. It was something they were used to, especially now that Buffy was back.  
  
"Well, then, sunshine, why don't you make some one day? Give you something to do." She sat up and looked at him, forlorn over the suggestion.  
  
"I don't know how, and even if I did, I doubt we have everything we need to make them." She sighed softly.  
  
"Rot, I can bring the stuff over before morning, then sleep in the basement. When you get home from school, I'll teach you how. Fair enough, pet?"  
  
Perking up, Dawn sat up and smiled, truly smiled for the first time since seeing him tonight. "I would like that a lot, Spike."  
  
They sat and talked about how things were at home for a bit longer, and then he sent Dawn on her way, trailing behind her as she went home. Then, he grimaced; it was off to the grocer's.  
  
*****************************  
  
Dawn came home and smelled... still nothing. Sighing, she dropped her book back at the door, and kicked her shoes off as she went. One landed on the sofa, and the other under the end table. She walked towards the basement door, and hollered down. "SPiiiiiiiiiike! Get your pasty butt up here! I want brownies!" She heard a distinct grumble and a curse.  
  
"Come on, Spiiiiiiike, you promised!" She added this last part in what she hoped was a whiney, yet pathetic, voice. Something to tug at his heart... no, wait, no heart... at his feelings. She heard him grumble a bit louder, then heard him getting up from his bed. He had moved in briefly after Buffy had... gone away. They had left his things in the basement in case he ever needed a place to stay.  
  
Smiling, Dawn went and poured herself some milk, and sat on the counter. Spike came tumbling up from the basement a few moments later. The shades were already drawn when Dawn came in, so she figured Spike did it before he went to sleep that morning.  
  
"Right then, sunny girl, let's get to baking." He said in a sleep-roughened voice. He had just finished pulling his shirt down as he stepped into the room, and his hair was sticking up at odd angles. She giggled and then smiled at him.  
  
"What are you laughing at, bit?" She giggled again, and stared at him.  
  
Spike went to the cupboards he had filled the night before, and got out the chewy brownie mix he bought. Reading the back, he pulled out several eggs, oil, and a cup of water. Winking at Dawn, Spike grabbed the cinnamon and vanilla flavoring from the spice cupboard, and sat those down next to the mixing bowl.  
  
"Come on, then, bit, and let's get to baking. And don't you DARE tell anyone I did this!"  
  
***More to come soon ( 


	2. Messy Mix

Chapter 2  
  
Spike measured out the oil, while Dawn learned the proper way to crack an egg, while not making a mess. Spike kept looking over at her, and trying hard not to laugh. She had some brownie batter on her nose, from trying to lick the bowl from the last batch.  
  
The first batch they had made smelled good, but between laughing, cleaning up, and talking, they hadn't taken them out in time, and they had fried. They didn't even taste good to Spike, who, as was common knowledge, would eat anything.  
  
"Spike, they keep cracking all over the place!" Dawn whined to him. He laughed and finished measuring the oil into the bowl. Putting the cup down, he walked over to her.  
  
"Ok, Bit, one more time, cause we can't lose anymore eggs, or we'll have to go get more." He took the egg from her, and tapped it carefully against the edge of the counter. Showing her the crack that was barely there, he held it over the bowl, and pulled it apart.  
  
The gooey egg dripped into the bowl, and the shell was tossed in the garbage. "See, that was so easy. Why don't you do it for me, Spike?" Spike frowned, then smiled again. She had him wrapped around her little finger. He easily cracked the other 2 eggs needed, and put them in the mix.  
  
Dawn pulled out the mixer, and started it up on low, like Spike had shown her. The got the mix down, and it looked just like the previous mix had. Looking at each other briefly, they poured the batter into a freshly washed pan.  
  
They put it into the pre-heated oven, and this time, set the timer for 2 minutes before they were supposed to be done. They hopped it would give them the time needed to get the brownies out before they burned.  
  
********************************  
  
Buffy came home and smelled. burnt brownies. Wrinkling her nose, she went to the kitchen, where the smell was even more retched. Spike and Dawn were busy trying to pry burnt food out of a pan, and in the trash, a small heap of black brownies lay.  
  
"Uh, guys, what are you doing?"  
  
"Buffy?" Dawn squeaked as she looked up from the newest batch of brownie batter she was stirring.  
  
Spike looked over at her, and smiled. He poured on the charm as he steered her out of the messy kitchen. "Slayer.Buffy, luv. We were just making you a small surprise. Don't suppose you can leave for a while, and pretend you never saw that, can you?"  
  
"Spike, that mess. that is at least a weeks worth of groceries, and it USED to be my kitchen!"  
  
"Well, then, let's not worry on either, cause I bought the stuff to make the brownies, and the kitchen will be spic and span when you get back. Come on. Dawn needs to do this."  
  
She took a deep breath, and glanced towards the kitchen, then nodded. Buffy turned to leave again, but before she could, he handed her a couple of twenties.  
  
"Go, buy some groceries, and come back. Splurge, slayer, buy whatever you want, not what you need." She nodded, and left. "Right then, back to brownie duty." He said the last bit to the empty living room, then turned and went back into the kitchen.  
  
Dawn was just pouring the batter into the pan, and sliding it into the oven. She put the timer on for only 10 minutes this time, because anything more had fried the brownies anyway. Spike was picking up the many boxes of brownie mix, and the eggs, and all the other stuff. He stopped for a moment, and looked down at the directions.  
  
"Hey, bit, what's the oven set to?"  
  
"525, why?"  
  
Spike groaned, and went to grab oven mitts. He took the doughy brownie batter out, and placed it on the oven, then turned the dial down to 325. "We had it to high. We've been frying them because of the temperature."  
  
Dawn giggled, then caught the disapproving glare from Spike, and tried to hold it in.  
  
********************************  
  
Buffy wandered up and down the aisle at Super Food World, and randomly put things in the cart. Spike had said to get things she wanted, so, after much debate with herself, she did.  
  
The cart had soda in it, something they had stopped buying months ago, because it wasn't good for you, and was to expensive. She had reasoned with herself, and bought the cheap brand, instead of the good stuff, but that meant she could buy more.  
  
In the snack aisle, Buffy went nuts. The cart got loaded down with all sorts of goodies, from fruit snacks, to chips, to the really good soft chocolate chip cookies. She looked at the money in her hand, and the stuff in the cart, and decided she likely had enough junk to last at least a month. Though, more than likely, it would only last a few days.  
  
She paid, and found she still had $20 bucks left, and smiled as she went out to wait for the nightly bus. Luckily, she hadn't gone overboard, so she only had 2 bags to carry.  
  
********************************  
  
Buffy walked in and sat the bags down. The house smelled of brownies. Good, warm, chewy brownies. The kind her mother used to make. Buffy grabbed the bags after taking her shoes off, and went to the kitchen.  
  
It wasn't completely clean yet, but they had made a valiant effort. The garbage was taken out; the house had been hosed down with air freshener, to rid the place of the burnt smell. On the oven sat a plate of perfectly cut brownies.  
  
"See, Buffy? We finally got it right! Now, I know how to make em, which is a good thing, cause Spike bought enough brownie mixes today, that I can make them everyday for at least a week. Isn't that so cool?"  
  
Buffy laughed and nodded. Spike was nowhere to be seen, so Buffy had Dawn help with the two bags she carried.  
  
"You got us pop? What happened, did you get a raise finally?" Dawn's voice was all excited, but Buffy shook her head no.  
  
"No, Spike sent me to get some stuff, and told me I had to buy stuff I wanted, not stuff we needed. So. I did." They started putting the groceries away, and Buffy noticed that the cupboards were fairly well stocked. Some of the stuff was stuff she had never before bought, so she knew Spike must have.  
  
Dawn noticed her sister looking at all the food, and smiled. "He bought us lots of groceries, Buffy. Said that he wanted to see that we got filled out, because he hated seeing women so scrawny. It was cool of him, though, wasn't it?"  
  
Buffy nodded, and smiled. Spike came through the back door a moment later, and her heart just about melted onto the floor.  
  
********************************  
  
Spike came through the door from the kitchen, and found both girls on the couch, munching happily on perfectly made brownies. He laughed as he sat the bowl of popcorn down, and the bag of chips. Already out, were the brownies, a tub of chip dip, a 2-liter of soda, and a mug of blood.  
  
He settled in, sitting right in the middle, and the movie started. Before the opening credits were done, half the brownies were gone, and both girls were yawning. He smiled and closed his eyes.  
  
He wouldn't have traded this for anything. 


End file.
